Liebstered again

I am a glutton for awards and every time I get some kind soul awarding me something, it gives me a rush. Of course, a part of it is because it happens so infrequently but a bigger part is the warm feeling that it gives you to realize that, somewhere in the world, there is someone who actually likes something of you. This time there are two lovely people – Ash and Menachery – who have awarded me the Liebster.

The Liebster is one award that gives me mixed feelings. Of course there is the aforesaid warmth of getting the award but the fact that it is given to people with less than 200 followers makes it seem less like an award and more like a consolation. In the initial days of blogging you do not expect to have followers anyway but as you age as a blogger and still fail in getting followers the shoe does start to pinch. I have a sneaking feeling that in my dotage with my hands trembling with Parkinsons and with inch-thick glasses I shall be peering at my blog and still be seeing the 100 odd followers I have now – if I have not lost all of them by then – and then eagerly await to be consoled by the Liebster.

What is worse is finding 11 people to give the award to – and all of them need to have less than 200 followers. You go a-hunting for them and find that all the people you know have been veritable Pied Pipers with half the population following them. You blow a couple more feeble notes on your pipe and look around piteously for a following – only to find that the few who have joined your train out of pity are looking around for a convenient way to disappear without hurting you too badly.

I have to apologize for not picking those 11 bloggers to pass on the award. It has been more than a week and my hunt for awardees has netted me a lot of people who made me envy their followers and a lot of others who have just put up their acceptance posts for the Liebster that someone else has awarded them. Being the obsessive kind, I find myself unable to get going on anything else till I complete this post – thus I am putting up the post without completing all the formalities.

I am supposed to put up 11 facts about myself. I can only redirect people to the series of posts here, where they will find enough facts about me to make them feel that sourness rise in their gullets whenever they even spot my gravatar for the next month.

Now I shall get to answering the 2 x 11 questions that I have been asked. First Menachery’s questions:

1. What is the craziest thing you have done to increase your Blog followers?

What have I not done? The problem is that none of them succeeded or I would not have been awarded the Liebster and would not be answering this question!

2. What is the best story/poem/post you have written so far?

Looks to me like it is a toss-up between ‘Yesterdays and Tomorrows’ and ‘The Gates of Hell’ as far as stories are concerned. The most popular, however, seems to be “TheSilent World’.

3. Who is your favorite follower?

You must be the person who asked the newbie heroine who her favorite hero was! I’ll give the same answer – all the followers who I have and who I will have are my favorite followers!

4. One comment on your Blog that made you Rofl

Hmm! There was this one comment that I deleted. It was on my post for the Sunsilk contest – ‘Straighten up or die’. The contest asked for crazy ideas to straighten hair and, on my post, one of that vast tribe of ‘Anonymous’ commented that it was a lame post and I ought to have written about what I actually did to straighten my hair in the days I had hair. What made it funny was that this ‘lame’ post went on to win one of the runners-up awards! That is when I ROFLed!

5. Do you feel a compulsive need to keep updating your Blog?

Well! I am compulsively lazy – so I actually have to compel myself to update my blog periodically!

6. Funniest Post you ever read

I normally find almost all of Debajyoti’s posts or Rickie’s posts very funny. Too difficult for me to pick one! (Among the other things that happens when I read their posts is that I find it funny that I think of my posts as funny!)

7. Do you feel that certain comments are just to patronize you, or rather to get you to comment on their post. How do you deal with it.

Raw nerve, there! I actually put up an entire post – On Criticism on Blogs – on just this topic. Nowadays I find that deleting is easier on my nerves.

8. If you had a magic lamp, what would you wish for , on your Blog

Only one wish? I make very modest demands – how about my blog becoming the No.1 destination in the world for Internet readers?

9. What is/was your dream profession?

I am living my dream – I always wanted to be retired and, now, I am!

10. If you had to snuggle up all by yourself, with a book, which one would it be, and why.

The complete collection of P.G. Wodehouse’s stories, I suppose. I like laughing!

11. If you had to publish your Blog,, what would you name the book?

I think I have a nice enough name for my blog to suit the book – Life is like this! You can write anything in the book and if someone asks you how it suits the book, you can put on an injured expression and say, “But Life is also like this”

Now Ash’s questions

1.Which is your favorite book and why ?

Asked and answered – P.G.Wodehouse’s complete collection. Makes me laugh and I like laughing.

2.What is the one thing you would rescue from your burning house, assuming no one is inside ?
I am Libran! By the time I decide what is best to save I’d probably burn along with the house and all my possessions.

3.Which is the most discomforting movie you have seen ?

I watch movies on TV. With remote in hand it is unlikely I stay on the channel long enough for any movie to discomfort me! I like my comfort!

4.What is the one social issue you can take out time for ?

Hmm! To be entirely truthful, I do not think anything will get me out of my home. I can always write posts or Like social causes!

5.Are you happy more when you are writing or when you view your finished work ?

I actually like the thinking process when I nearly completely plan out what I will write. After that it seems so much like work that I keep postponing the actual writing.

6.Why do you blog ?

Good question! (That’s what teachers say to students when they do not know the answer!) I suppose it is because I have the fallacious notion that I can write I suppose!

7.If you had taken a different fork in life, what would you have been ?

Still what I am – retired - from a different profession, maybe!

8.Which is that one experience you wish to have before you die ?

Do I really have to – die, I mean! Is there no Presidential pardon or something? Mmm! Maybe see my book in the best-sellers list once at least. I keep telling people that I am a man of modest ambitions.

9.Are you more comfortable in the company of others or being alone ?

You know what – it all depends! When I am alone I think I am comfortable in the company of others and when I am in company I think I love being alone. When I am drunk, I love wherever I am!

10.Which do you think is the biggest malady plaguing the nation now ?

The selfish act and do not talk; the unselfish talk and do not act!

11.Why would you attend a bloggers meet or would you rather not?

I love blogger meets – when it gives me time to interact with other bloggers. Bloggers are people too you know and people are fun to be with!

I apologize once again for not passing on the awards. I find that I am becoming more and more averse to work the longer I stay retired and it is, indeed, a lot of work to sift through bloggers and pick 11. I know Ash and Menachery have done just that and I respect them for it but I cry mercy!

Indian Sculpture: The Samavediswarar Temple

When one talks of Indian Sculpture – and South Indian Sculpture in particular – the top tourist destination that springs into the mind is, probably, the Pallava sculptures at Mahabalipuram and, secondarily, the Kailashanatha temple at Kanchi. One may then cast an eye at the Chalukyan Sculptures in Aihole/Pattadakal/Badami or the Hoysala sculptures at Belur-Halebidu in Karnataka. Hampi of the Nayakas may also attract attention.

Yet South India is rich in innumerable temples dotting the landscape with a veritable treasure trove of sculptures waiting to be explored. It is, probably, this plenitude that seems to make the local populace totally indifferent to the artistic richness that lies amidst them. This indifference has, in turn, contributed to neglect and, thus, not only do these various temples housing sculptural marvels remain obscure but the sculptures also tend to be ruined by neglect.

In fact, the sculptural heritage of the Cholas and Pandyas is almost totally ignored – the major Chola and Pandya temples being visited mainly as grand temples or places of pilgrimage rather than for their sculptural heritage. Talk of the Cholas and the only thing of artistic merit that springs to the mind are the Chola bronzes. Yet, it is in their times that exquisite sculpting in miniature panels arguably reached their zenith. The panels of the latter age – the Hoysalas and Nayaks – do have lovely detail but they are normally larger and, thus, arguably do not give the same impression of intricacy that the Chola panels portray.

During my visit to Srirangam to explore the sculptural heritage of South India, I had the opportunity to visit a small temple – The Samavedishwarar temple in Tirumangalam near Lalgudi. This temple set in serene surroundings is an exemplar of the early Chola (8^th to 10^th Century AD) temple.

Take a look at the sculpture of the ‘Bikshadana’ in one of the niches.

 This is a portrayal of the Sankaranarayana in another niche.

 

Vishnu and Lakshmi in one of the pillar panels.

 

There was this lovely Ramayana series of miniature panels. You can see the Kabanda episode from the Ramayana in the miniature below. This was just above the basement and the sculptor does not seem to be afflicted by the so-called ‘chalta hai’ attitude considering his attention to detail in this miniature which is not in the most noticeable of positions.

 

That visit to the temple was one of the most rewarding experiences for me in this trip. You can get a virtual tour of the trip in the photographs of Arvind Venkataraman here, whose photographs have been used by me in this post as well.

More information of cultural interest may be seen here

Guest Post for Akanksha Dureja

Every now and then, by some strange masochistic instinct, one of the very popular fellow-bloggers chooses to inflict my writing on their blogs. Or, maybe, it is out of the kindness of their hearts that they decide to bring my blog to the notice of people who, otherwise, would be quite happy to be ignorant of my existence.

This time it is Akanksha Dureja of Direct Dil Se who has extended that hand of friendship. I have attempted one of my ‘humor’ posts on her blog. She has been embarrassingly laudatory of my writing in her introduction (Never mind, Akanksha, I like being embarrassed this way!) and I wish that the half of what she said of me were really true.

The link to that post in her blog is here.

Rasikas - Chennai’s Classical Music Extravaganza

If the musicians keep the knowledge alive, it is the discerning audience – rasikas – who keep them on their toes as well as give them the informed feedback that is so necessary for any artist to thrive. I, unfortunately, make up the crowd for the musician but am no further help. I have the greatest regard for the cognoscenti and, if I am taking digs at them in this piece, rest assured that they are most respectful digs.

The Sabha audience comes in various types. I shall ignore the young couples walking in to the free concerts to do their dating in the A/c confines of the hall. They are more like people who have strayed in – though not by mistake – and, thus, do not deserve mention in a ‘serious’ dissertation such as this.

The one thing that you need to know is that each rendering of a piece is not to be listened to in rapt silence. There are various sections to each piece after which applause is mandatory even if muted. After four years, I am able to anticipate the end of the section and start applauding along with the cognoscenti instead of having to wait for the applause to start and joining in, in order to appear knowledgeable.

What I have not yet mastered – and never shall – is to utter those words ‘Balae’ and ‘Baesh’ every now and then when the musician has, apparently, touched some intricate part of the raga. To me it all sounds the same – melodious, yes, but nothing particular at that point in time compared to any other – and I am unable to understand why others felt impelled to vocalize their appreciation. It is not even like they all appreciate the same part. Different people seem to take to different portions making it all the more difficult to understand. Sometimes I have been tempted to add in a few ‘Balae’s and “Baesh”es of my own – the only thing stopping me is the possibility that I may do it when the musician is merely clearing his throat.

There are those rapt rasikas who can only vocalize “Tch!Tch!Tch” and move their fingers like palm fronds trembling gently in the breeze. There are those who can hardly refrain from addressing the perfect stranger sitting next to them and inviting him to join in their appreciation. There are those who fling their hands in gay abandon when the ecstasy hits them.

For me, the worst sort of rasikas to sit near is the quiz competition group. In Carnatic concerts, the raga of the composition is not necessarily disclosed at the beginning. So, when the alapana is going on, the quiz competition groups start guessing the raga. There is invariably a quiz master – who can be identified by the smug look on his face – and his judgment is resorted to by all the members. The buzz can become so loud that the musician is practically drowned out by them. I am awaiting the day that an app is devised to identify the raga from the beginning of the alapana putting paid to this nuisance. They would, probably legitimately, be angry that their pleasure has been robbed. After all, it is a point of view as to whether the concert is a soulful experience or a variant of the Brittania Quiz contest.

I forget the failed musicians – by whom I mean those who believe that their vocation is music and they had been lead astray into other areas of work. These are the chaps who maintain the beat with claps like pistol shots or sing along with the musician or hum along with the violinist. I thought I had met the worst of them till the day came when this guy drummed on both sides of his chair, sang, hummed and stamped his feet. Why, he was a one-man-orchestra and poor T.N.Seshagopalan could not compete with him that day.

The Sabha-hoppers are inevitable in the season. They sample a bit of this in one Sabha, rush away to sample a bit of that in the other and, probably, sing the mangalam at home. Since I am the sort who can’t even stand surfing channels on TV it is understandable that I am unable to fathom the pleasure that sabha-hopping gives them.

All in all, the Music Season gives you a grand exposure to a fascinating and vibrant sub-culture in our midst. To me, all the rasikas are worth their weight in gold since it is their interest that is still keeping these wonderful creative arts thriving.